“I’m a Woman, I’m a Muslim, I’m a Migrant”

• Ms Zaki won the ballot over two others after a period of campaigning that included meeting with many local party members
• She was born in Afghanistan and moved to Australia at the age of seven

CANBERRA – The Australian Muslim freelance writer Mina Zaki has been pre-selected by the Liberal party to run for the seat of Canberra at the next federal election, Sydney Morning Herald reported on December 17.

“I am a woman, I am a Muslim, I am a migrant, and I haven’t received anything but overwhelming support from the party so I would like to change the narrative around the Liberal party, it’s not what it seems,” the Afghan female politician informed.

Zaki is part of the team that will appear on ballot papers in the Australian Capital Territory. She won the ballot over two others on the night of December 13 after a period of campaigning that included meeting with many local party members.

“I have only been a party member since March this year, but I have had a long involvement with the party – handing out how to vote cards for Philip Ruddock with my grandfather when I was just seven years old,” she said.

The Afghani Muslim lady moved to Australia at the age of seven and now lives in Deakin with her husband and three children. She then moved to Canberra from Sydney with her family in 2016.

“My main aim going into it will be to give the other two parties a challenge … I will be out there going for every single vote,” said the ambitious Muslim woman.

Zaki is not the first Australian Muslim to indulge in politics.

Ed Husic is an Australian politician who is a member of the Australian House of Representatives, was elected to represent the seat of Chifley in western Sydney for the Australian Labor Party at the 2010 federal election.

Islam in Australia is a minority religious affiliation. According to the 2016 Australian Census, the number of Muslims in the south hemisphere country constituted 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total population.